This summer we traveled to our neighboring country, Portugal. Even better, we had the opportunity to meet up with some dear friends in both Portugal and Spain. In Portugal, we met up with Brian and Jen Hensarling (Olmsted, Brussels 2011) and their family in Sagres and Lisbon. In Spain, we met up with the Adam's family (dear friends from pilot training) in Valencia. To be able to see both sets of friends, we stretched our vacation a little longer than anticipated and placed a few more pins in the map. I know, must be difficult having to spend more time than expected in Portugal and Spain...
Abraham thankfully slept on the boat from Morocco to Spain. I'm sure my sweater was super helpful in keeping the area sanitary. Of course, driving our car on and off of the boat is always exciting for the boys, and just after a couple of hours crossing the Med, we began our journey. First stop:
Jerez is the sherry capital of the world! Who knew? After hitting the sack immediately upon arrival, Jamil woke the next morning and drove to Rota to get take care of some administration issues. The boys and I enjoyed a late lunch of chicken in sherry sauce followed by multiple carousel rides (we had to try all the carousel animals that were unique to Spain... donkey baskets and bulls for example) and shopping at the local market.
Sagres, Portugal
Sagres lies on the southwestern most tip of Europe where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Henry the Navigator was known to sail from this point. Under his direction, a smaller and faster ship was developed to be the first to explore the coast of Africa.
My how quickly things can turn sour...
We first met the Hensarlings and Jen's family in Sagres and spent several days together throughout Portugal. How fun to be able to catch up with friends over yummy food and explorations all around the world!
Jamil left some important documents in Spain and had to drive back across the border on his own. He returned with two dinosaurs (one in Gabriel's hand) that were a hit throughout our entire trip. Plus, he had bragging rights that he had now been to Portugal twice... seriously?
The views from Prince Henry's school of navigation were breathtaking!
What little boy doesn't love climbing on cannons, and what kid wouldn't think this sculpture was an awesome slide?
Salema, Portugal
After a few days in Sagres, we hit the road for an out and back. Salema is a precious beach town less than an hour east of Sagres. We soaked up some serious rays and hit the paddle boats on the Med. This is my kind of vacation!
After a few days in Sagres, we hit the road for an out and back. Salema is a precious beach town less than an hour east of Sagres. We soaked up some serious rays and hit the paddle boats on the Med. This is my kind of vacation!
No, he didn't slide off of the boat, but the boys got a kick out of watching their daddy!
Lisbon, Portugal
The capital of Portugal, Lisbon, has many districts that are jam packed with beautiful sights. Alfama, Alcantara, Bairro Alto, Baixa, Belem, Chiado, and Estrela all have something completely unique to offer. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and was captured by the Moors in the 8th century. It was interesting to see the Islamic influence and many of the names of places that are derived from the Arabic language.
We rode a gondola over the Tagus River, and wrapped up a beautiful day with some delicious sea food! They brought the "menu" to the table, which were 3 whole fish hanging from giant hooks.
We would suggest jumping on the bandwagon and going to the Casa Pasteis de Belem for the famous Portuguese pastry, pastel de nata! If you get there by 10am, you can miss the lines!
I stayed hydrated with sangria the majority of our trip. By the behavior of our children, it would appear they too enjoyed a sangria or two.
The capital of Portugal, Lisbon, has many districts that are jam packed with beautiful sights. Alfama, Alcantara, Bairro Alto, Baixa, Belem, Chiado, and Estrela all have something completely unique to offer. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and was captured by the Moors in the 8th century. It was interesting to see the Islamic influence and many of the names of places that are derived from the Arabic language.
This volcano fountain was quite a shock when it first erupted. Somehow we all managed to be surprised even after the 10th time.
The Lisbon aquarium was an impressive structure with beautiful views and interactive gardens.
The next day we grabbed the guide book for a jam packed day hitting up each unique district.
We would suggest jumping on the bandwagon and going to the Casa Pasteis de Belem for the famous Portuguese pastry, pastel de nata! If you get there by 10am, you can miss the lines!
In the district Alfama (from the Arabic Al Hamma meaning fountains or baths), Castle de Sao Jorge sits high on a hill offering an amazing view. We parked at the bottom of the hill by the river anticipating that there wouldn't be parking up the steep and narrow roads. After quite the hike with two fussy kids on our backs, I was slightly annoyed to see a huge parking garage right outside of the entrance. By the time we arrived to the castle, the boys were ready for melt down mode. We made the wise decision for Jamil to check out the castle while the boys and I relaxed at a park inside the entrance. Sometimes cuddles, naps, and snacks are far more important than old castles.
Did y'all see that big ol' Texas sign in Portugal? I reckon there's a little bit o' Texas in all of us!
In case it wasn't obvious, Gabriel is playing the saxophone and I'm playing the guitar in front of the cultural center and jazz school sign. I think we have a future.
I must have spent half the day with my camera pointed at the ground! Oh, to walk on sidewalks this beautiful everyday...
Sintra, Portugal
Sintra is a breathtaking city seen by many as a day trip from Lisbon, but I would recommend spending a couple of days there to take in all the beauty without feeling completely rushed. The city is full of castles, palaces, royal retreats, and charm galore!
Sintra is a breathtaking city seen by many as a day trip from Lisbon, but I would recommend spending a couple of days there to take in all the beauty without feeling completely rushed. The city is full of castles, palaces, royal retreats, and charm galore!
We began our tour of Sintra at a local cafe for a healthy breakfast of chocolate milk and pastries...
I know we're not supposed to, but we cry over spilt milk a lot in our house.
We spent most of our time at The Castle of the Moors located at the top of the hill.
The cafe where we started is just a tiny speck on this picture. We hiked about half way up and then all the way down. These kids better remember this... ;) As we made our way back down to the city center, the Spanish charm surrounded us once again. I was sad not to have more time in Sintra, but we were on a tight schedule to make it to Porto.
Porto, Portugal
Even though Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, it is often overshadowed by Lisbon. It is definitely worth seeing both places, as Porto is just as unique as any of the districts in Lisbon and bursting with culture. Port, a fortified wine, comes from this region, and one side of the Douro River is saturated with wineries.
Sunshine!!!
One of my favorite things about Porto was the way they incorporated tiles on their buildings. It was absolutely beautiful!
Even though Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, it is often overshadowed by Lisbon. It is definitely worth seeing both places, as Porto is just as unique as any of the districts in Lisbon and bursting with culture. Port, a fortified wine, comes from this region, and one side of the Douro River is saturated with wineries.
The day started off quite dreary, but we had no time to waste. We hopped on a boat tour and cruised down the Douro River. The city offers a gritty, urban feel with beautiful old buildings and 6 modern bridges framing the river.
What started off as an enjoyable lunch of Porto's famous francesinha sandwich (not my favorite), turned into the all too common embarrassing melt down moment. Sitting elbow to elbow with hip, single travelers reading books and taking artsy photos definitely makes us stick out even more than usual. Abraham had to take a few "breaks", but we can now look back and laugh at his pathetic little pout below.
We crossed the river and hiked and hiked to the wineries that had free tastings included with our boat tour tickets. Free port, much needed exercise, and happy kids, who can complain?
Wine tasting with kids? Yes, we did that...twice.
We wrapped up our tour of Portugal at a Pousada (Portuguese historical building turned luxury hotel) in the Mountain region of Belmonte. This was the perfect spot to relax and recoup after days of sightseeing in the big cites. From the Atlantic coast, we cut across Portugal to make our way to Spain and just happened to hit the jackpot with this location. Our friends recommended staying in a Pousada at some point during our Portuguese travels, and we would highly recommend doing the same.
Our view from the pool
As if we hadn't already gotten enough use out of the backpacks during our trip, we decided that this was the perfect location to use them for an actual at-one-with-nature type of hike. About 5 minutes into our hike, I joked that the path wasn't as groomed as I would prefer, considering the grass was growing up to my waist. Jamil quickly interrupted me asking, "Did you hear that?". I didn't even have a chance to respond before a large animal graciously gave us a second warning GROWL. Although we didn't see the animal through the overgrown brush, it was clearly within a few feet of us and was not kiddin' around. I turned around and hauled up the hill as fast as I could without appearing to frantically run from my death. Jamil even tried to get ahead of me at one point, but I quickly threatened, "Don't you dare..." Images of my family and I being chased by bears were racing through my head, and I kept trying to devise a plan to save my kids. If the bear ate me, or better yet Jamil, it would probably be too full to eat the kids too, right? But then they would have to live having seen their parents eaten by bears. I never quite came up with a solution to save us from such a tragic death, which didn't help my panicked state. Obviously, we were not eaten alive, and I have lived to tell you that the "little piggies", as our hotel host put it, spared us. To my credit, they were not "little piggies". They were wild boars. Her translation didn't quite come out right, and I'd still like to imagine that it was, in fact, a bear.
After our failed attempt at hiking, we spent a lot of time in the pool with just enough time to nap and get dressed up for some very nice meals. It was the perfect break from a vacation on the go go go!
...and of course, don't leave Portugal without trying their caipirinhas. Wow!
Stay tuned as we hit the road east through Spain!
Wow! The pictures are amazing! DeDe, love the hair cut. Y'all are killing me..."oh normal day". Oh how I would love it if this were my "normal day"!! I can't wait to hear about part 2...so glad you did not get attacked by boars!
ReplyDelete